London Coaches

Parent	London Transport
Founded	April 1989
Defunct	March 2003
Headquarters	Wandsworth
Service area	London Kent
Depots	2

London Coaches was a former bus and coach operator operating open top tourist services in London and commuter services from Kent to London.

London Coaches originated from the London Transport Tours and Charters division. In January 1986 London Transport revamped the division and formed the Original London Transport Sightseeing Tour brand, to operate a fleet of 50 modified open and closed topped AEC Routemaster buses, on sightseeing tours of London.

In April 1988 London Coaches commenced operating a service from New Ash Green, Kent to London following the collapse of Bexleyheath Transport. This resulted in some buses being outstationed at Kentish Bus' Dartford depot, this moved in 1989 to Northfleet.

The business unit was based originally at Battersea garage, before moving to Wandsworth garage in October 1988.

In April 1989 in preparation for privatisation of London bus services, London Buses was separated into different business units and London Coaches was formed with a fleet of 85 buses. London Coaches was the first of the operating units to be sold in May 1992 to a management buyout headed by Pat Waterman with 111 vehicles. Upon privatisation the Pullmans Group Limited was formed and traded as London Coaches.

London Coaches post privatisation was forced to drop the "Transport" in its Original London Sightseeing Tour core business element. London Coaches Limited was split into two operating unit when it opened London Coaches (Kent) Limited, in Northfleet. London Coaches (Kent) had all its commuter coach services transferred from Wandsworth garage, when in 1993 London Coaches tendered to operate bus routes under contract to London Regional Transport.

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